Apple emerged as the worldwide smartphone market chief in 2025, as worldwide smartphone shipments grew for the second consecutive 12 months, posting a 2% year-on-year enhance.
That is in keeping with preliminary estimates from Counterpoint Analysis’s Market Monitor.
Apple overtook Samsung, which was the worldwide chief in 2024.
The info exhibits that Apple not solely retained management but additionally recorded the quickest progress among the many high 5 smartphone manufacturers, benefiting from premium demand and robust momentum in rising markets.
The general smartphone market maintained its progress trajectory all through 2025, pushed largely by premiumization supported by financing choices, efficient advertising and marketing, and rising adoption of 5G gadgets in creating areas.
What the information is saying
In line with Counterpoint Analysis, Apple closed 2025 with a 20% share of world smartphone shipments, recording a ten% year-on-year progress — the very best among the many high 5 manufacturers.
- Samsung completed 2025 in second place with a 19% market share and 5% year-on-year progress, whereas Xiaomi, vivo, and OPPO adopted behind.
- In This fall 2025 alone, Apple accounted for one-quarter of world smartphone shipments, marking its highest-ever quarterly market share.
Senior Analyst Varun Mishra attributed Apple’s efficiency to its increasing footprint in rising and mid-sized markets, alongside a stronger product combine.
The iPhone 17 sequence gained vital traction in This fall following its profitable launch, whereas the iPhone 16 continued to carry out strongly in key markets akin to Japan, India, and Southeast Asia.
This twin momentum was additional strengthened by the COVID-era improve cycle reaching an inflection level, as a big base of customers grew to become due for system substitute.
Market dynamics
Counterpoint famous that the worldwide smartphone market continued its gradual shift towards increased worth tiers in 2025, as customers more and more upgraded to premium gadgets.
On the identical time, demand for 5G smartphones rose sharply throughout rising markets.
Senior Analyst Shilpi Jain defined that authentic gear producers (OEMs) front-loaded shipments within the first half of the 12 months because of tariff-related issues. Nonetheless, because the 12 months progressed, the influence of tariffs turned out to be milder than anticipated, limiting their impact on second-half cargo volumes.
- Regional efficiency remained uneven. Progress in markets akin to Japan, the Center East and Africa (MEA), and components of Asia-Pacific helped offset weak spot in additional mature markets.
- In This fall 2025, total shipments grew by a modest 1% year-on-year, weighed down by stock constructed up earlier within the 12 months, whilst Apple led the quarter forward of Samsung.
What it is best to know
In 2024, Nairametrics reported the world smartphone market skilled a long-awaited restoration, attaining 4% year-on-year progress after two consecutive years of decline.
That 12 months, Samsung retained its place as the worldwide market chief, pushed by strong demand for its Galaxy S24 and A-series gadgets.
The Galaxy S24 sequence, Samsung’s first AI-centric smartphone, outperformed earlier iterations and was particularly common in Western Europe and the U.S.
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